Welcome back to a new edition of Musical Disclosure. The next articles are dedicated to one of the most influential pop artists of the twenty-first century, who, with her versatility and extraordinary performance talent, has managed to build a decade-long career filled with continuous successes and records that remain unbeaten to this day: Beyoncé.

Daughter of African Americans Mathew Knowles and Tina Knowles, Beyoncé (whose name is actually a tribute to her mother's maiden name) was born in Houston, Texas, in 1981. As a child, she took dance lessons and, thanks to her teacher, discovered an innate talent for singing. Her passion for music led her to perform in various talent shows, as well as sing for the school choir and the local church choir. But her career officially began in 1990, when, together with her childhood friend Kelly Rowland, she auditioned for an all-female vocal group. Along with four other girls, they formed Girl’s Tyme and staged shows with choreography and rap and dance numbers in Houston. Beyoncé's father, sensing the potential of this project, left his job to devote himself to it full time and reduced the line-up to four members: Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Robertson, and LeToya Luckett. In 1997, the newly renamed Destiny’s Child landed a contract with Columbia Records and released their first single, “Killing Time,” included in the soundtrack of the film “Men In Black.” But the careers of the four young singers officially took off in November of the same year with “No, No, No,” followed by their debut album “Destiny’s Child.” From there, it was one success after another: the lead singles from the second album (including the famous “Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Jumpin’, Jumpin’,” and “Say My Name”) climbed the charts and led the group to win two Grammy Awards in 2001. The same fortune awaited the next album, “Survivor” (2001), whose title track won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Just when the group seemed to be at the height of their success, Mathew Knowles wisely suggested that each member pursue a solo career, without ruling out a future reunion. And so it happened: in 2002, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," a song by Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé’s first solo appearance, was released, paving the way for the release of the album “Dangerously in Love” in June 2003. Recorded over a year starting in March 2002, Beyoncé’s first solo album saw the artist as co-writer and co-producer of almost all its tracks, as well as executive producer alongside her father Mathew. The creative process, as she herself stated, proved to be “liberating” and “therapeutic,” especially compared to the more rushed and superficial process with Destiny’s Child. For “Dangerously in Love,” Beyoncé chose to collaborate with various producers and, although she did not handle the beatmaking directly, she shared lyrics, melodies, and ideas about the mixing and mastering of the tracks with them. The result is an album composed of mid-tempo and dance tracks in the first part and ballads in the second, centered on the theme of love. While the other Destiny’s Child members explored gospel and alternative pop styles, Beyoncé instead focused on predominantly R&B tracks, albeit with influences from soul, hip hop, reggae, and Arabic music. The first single from the album is the famous “Crazy in Love,” which, with its funk, soul, and rap influences, immediately gets us on the dance floor, as do the subsequent “Naughty Girl” and “Baby Boy.” The BPM then gradually slow down towards the end of the album, passing through tracks like “Me, Myself and I” and “The Closer I Get to You,” up to “Daddy,” in which Beyoncé expresses all her love for her father and hopes one day to marry a man who is a bit like him. Finally, giving the album its title is “Dangerously in Love,” which, discarded from the previous “Survivor,” proves to be perfectly in line with the central theme of the new project and thus becomes the title track. The success of “Dangerously in Love” immediately took on an international scope, allowing the artist to win five Grammy Awards in 2004, including Best Contemporary R&B Album. Critics, while praising the singer’s stylistic explorations and her exceptional vocal performances, remained critical of the ballads in the second half of the album.

Today we invite you to immerse yourself in Beyoncé’s diverse musical world with the sensual “Naughty Girl,” introduced by the fitting quote from Donna Summer’s unforgettable “Love To Love You Baby.” Enjoy listening!